I’ve got the night away from the hospital, Craig is looking after Beanie, and we are hoping for a relatively quiet night. It was an uneventful day, apart from a spectacular projectile vomiting episode in the playroom, Gavin continued to feel pretty well and wanted to play a lot. He had an evening visit from Bubby and Da and was distraught when they left, but also didn’t have a lot of energy. Poor little man is on Ativin which always makes him act like David After Dentist.

Today I want to take a brief moment to send some positive energy to the other ones. The AT/RT world is a pretty small community, and slowly Craig and I are beginning to make some connections with those other families around the world. I’m especially thinking about the Davies family in England today, as I know that Gabriel goes for his routine scan tomorrow. The blog that Gabriel’s parents maintain has been incredibly inspiring to me and has often brought me hope in very dark hours. We are all praying for you Gabriel, our most heartfelt prayers, and hope that all goes well!

Since this ordeal began a short two months ago, I’ve been awestruck at how selfless people can be. Honestly, it makes me feel I’ve been a pretty small person at times. Many times as I wept in the halls of Sick Kids, I’ve had another parent approach me and ask about Gavin, and tell me that they would pray for him. Other times, virtual strangers have brought little gifts for him, or told me that they’ve got their whole church and community praying for him. I’ve received such an incredible outpouring of support from friends, old and new, I have to consider myself blessed. I also have to learn this lesson of selflessness that is being taught to me.

This is a hard road. Many of the other children I’ve discovered out there lost their battles, even after struggling through years of relapses and treatments. Others have journeyed through the worst of their treatments and somehow emerged, relatively unscathed. I can only hope and believe that our Gavin will be one of those.

Every night, I think of all those other brave and wonderful children out there and try to send healing thoughts to them. I know that many others are doing this for my son, too.